Green America

Green America (formerly Co-op America) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1982 that promotes ethical purchasing. The group's mission is to draw on the economic power of consumers, investors, and businesses to promote environmentally sustainable and socially just business practices.

Businesses that have successfully completed Green America's screening process can display the Green America Seal of Approval, indicating that they are a socially and environmentally responsible — or green — business and are listed in the National Green Pages directory.

Vision
They state their vision as "We work for a world where all people have enough, where all communities are healthy and safe, and where the bounty of the Earth is preserved for all the generations to come."

Programs
Green America encourages personal economic action to solve social and environmental problems. They mobilize people "in their economic roles as consumers and investors." Details include:
 * Responsible Shopper - shoppers can search company profiles before making purchasing decisions.
 * Green business - helping socially and environmentally responsible businesses emerge and thrive.
 * Fair Trade - encouraging shoppers to buy Fair Trade products.
 * Climate action - pressuring corporate polluters to take climate change seriously.
 * Green energy - pushes solar energy.
 * Social investing - encouraging people to engage in socially responsible investing.
 * Shop & Unshop - they provide tips for greener purchasing - and to help people stop buying what they don't need.
 * What you should never buy again
 * Products to always buy green
 * 25 ways to get and give what you need without money
 * Boycotts - providing info for individuals interested in using boycotts.

Partnerships

 * Social Investment Forum
 * Green Festival

Staff
Includes:
 * Denise Hamler, Division Director of Green Business and Green Festival programs
 * Fran Teplitz, Director of Social Investing & Strategic Outreach

Directors
Accessed November 2010:
 * Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director
 * Mo Alem, Green America Worker Member Representative
 * Melissa Bradley, New Capitalist, At-Large Board Member
 * Bernard Brennan, Behavioral Ecologist, Individual Member Representative
 * Dana Christianson, Green America Worker Member Representative
 * Nikki Daruwala, American Rights at Work, Individual Member Representative
 * Edith Everett, The Everett Foundation, Ex Officio
 * Paul Freundlich, Founder, Ex Officio
 * Russ Gaskin, Green America Worker Member Representative
 * Priya Haji, World of Good, Business Network Representative
 * Kathy Harget, Green America Worker Member Representative
 * Eric Henry, TS Designs, Business Network Representative, Board Vice President
 * Diane Keefe, Pax World Fund, Ex Officio
 * Andrew Korfhage, Green America Worker Member Representative
 * Todd Larsen, Green America Worker Member Representative

Former: Accessed May 2008:
 * Justin Conway, Co-op America Worker Member Representative
 * Alix Davidson, Co-op America Worker Member Representative
 * Norman Dean, Chief Business Officer
 * Talibah Morgan, Co-op America Worker Member Representative
 * Jacqueline Petteway, Co-op America Worker Member Representative

Contact details
1612 K Street NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20006 Phone: 800-584-7336 Web: http://www.greenamerica.org

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Better World Shopping Guide
 * Citizen groups working on coal issues
 * Global warming
 * Jeff Goldman

External resources

 * National Green Pages, Green America, accessed November 2010.
 * Green Festival, Green America, accessed November 2010.